Poet's Call for Trump's Death at Khamenei Funeral
At the funeral for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, poet Mohammad Rasouli called for the death of US President Donald Trump before a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Tehran on Sunday. Rasouli's remark, asking why the 'most bas**rd man in the world is still alive,' drew cheers and chants of 'Death to America!' and 'Death to Israel!' from the crowd.
Massive Turnout and Mourning
The funeral saw a far larger crowd than the previous day, with mourners dressed in black carrying banners and flags honoring Khamenei. Many also called for Trump's killing as he delivered a speech in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding. Khamenei, who ruled Iran for decades, was killed at age 86 in a February 28 airstrike at the start of the Iran war.
Political Implications for Iran's Theocracy
The funeral could bolster Iran's theocracy and its new supreme leader, Khamenei's son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. This is crucial as Iran seeks to leverage its control of the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the US for a permanent end to the war, and as concerns persist that Israel might launch another attack. The funeral was delayed due to the ongoing war, and talks remain on hold until the conflict concludes.
